Son of Chinese army singers gets 10 years' jail for gang rape

September 26, 2013|Reuters

By Sui-Lee Wee

BEIJING, Sept 26 (Reuters) - A Chinese court jailed theteenage son of two celebrity army singers for ten years onThursday for gang-raping a woman in a case that has fannedresentment against the offspring of the political elite who arewidely seen as spoilt and above the law.

Li Tianyi, 17, was found guilty of sexually assaulting thewoman in a hotel in February. He was one of five accused.

The verdict was a strict warning to the sons and daughtersof China's top-ranked Communist Party officials, who manyChinese say can dodge punishment because of family influence. Lihas become the most prominent target of these complaints.

Li's father is Li Shuangjiang of the People's LiberationArmy (PLA), a singer known for performing patriotic songs ontelevision shows and at official events. As dean of the musicdepartment for the Chinese army's Academy of Arts, he enjoys thesame treatment as a lieutenant-general, according to thePeople's Liberation Army Daily.

Li's mother, Meng Ge, is also a famous singer in the PLA.

"I think this verdict is unjust," Chen Shu, one of Li'slawyers, told reporters. "This decision is based on evidencethat is delayed and verbal testimony. This type of verbaltestimony is unreliable."

Chen said Li would appeal.

The case captivated China for months, even more so than thedramatic trial of ousted former senior politician Bo Xilai, andhas drawn fresh scrutiny to political aristocrats - called the"second-generation rich" or "second generation of officials" -who are widely viewed as corrupt.

Outside the court, many observers cheered Li's sentence.

"This case represents the current social climate," said MaHaodong. "Everyone is quite angry with the second-generationrich, the second-generation of officials and thesecond-generation celebrities."

The case followed a 2011 incident in which Li drove a BMWinto another car in Beijing, beat up the couple inside thevehicle and then scoffed at bystanders about calling the police.He was sentenced to a year in a juvenile correctional facilityand his father made a public apology.

"I'm quite satisfied with this result," she said. "Becausethis child is not the same as other children, he is among thewealthy second-generation. They shouldn't be able to do whateverthey want."

A former university professor, who declined to give hisname, also supported the sentence.

The second-generation rich "have been able to use theirparents' money, refuse to study hard and do not comply with thelaws", he said. "Can the child of an ordinary worker or farmerdo the same? Absolutely not. They don't have the money nor theopportunity."

Li was the only one among the accused who has denied thecharge, saying he was drunk and had no knowledge of the assault.

Three of the accused apologised in court and their familieshave given the victim 450,000 yuan ($73,500) in total incompensation, according to Li's lawyer, Chen.

Li's case has led to a debate about the rights of women inChina. A law professor sparked an outcry after he wrote in hismicroblog in July that "raping a chaste woman is more harmfulthan raping a bar girl". He later apologised.

President Xi Jinping has made addressing discontent overabuses by officials a main goal. Rising mistrust of thegovernment presents a potent risk for leaders who fear socialinstability.

Even the People's Daily, the party's mouthpiece, weighed inon Li's case when it broke, saying the failure of prominentfamilies to educate their children could "lead to antagonismamong the people".